Controller for electric cars.



No. 688,130. Patented Dec. 3, 190|.` B. W. SCOTT.

CDNTRLLER FOB ELECTRIC CARS.

(Application filed Apr4 30, 1901.)

(No Model.)

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v VUN TTED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

BARTON w. sCOTT, OF sAN JOSE, CALIFORNIA.

CONTROLLER FOR ELECTRIC CARS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 688,130, dated December3, 1901.

Application led April 30, 1901.

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, BARTON W. SCOTT, a citizen of the United States, anda resident of San Jose, in the county of Santa Clara and State ofCalifornia, have invented a new and Improved Controller for ElectricCars, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact' description.

This invention relates to improvements in devices for controlling thebrake mechanism of an electric car and for controlling or regulating theelectric current., the object being to provide a simple device by meansof which both the brake and current may be quickly controlled by anoperation of a single lever instead of operating two levers, as is theusual practice, thus shortening the time required to stop a car in caseof ldanger and reducing the possibility of confusion on the part of themotorman and leaving one hand of the motorman free for ringing the bellor for other service.

I will describe a controller for electric cars embodying myinvention,and then point out the features of novelty in the appended claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part ofthis specification, in which similar characters of reference indicatecorresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure 1 is a front elevation of a controlling device embodying myinvention. Fig. 2 is a side view of the same. Fig. 3 is a section on theline 3 3 of Fig. 1, and Fig. 4is a sectional view of a pinion employed.

Referring to the drawings, 10 designates a hand-lever, from the lowerend of which a rock-shaft 11 extends. This rock-shaft has bearings inboxings 12 and 13 on the carplatform and has a downwardlyextended arm 14for connection with a brake mechanism. Mounted on the hand-lever is astoprod 15, adapted to engage with a segmental rack 16, attached at itsends to the car-platform, this rod being operated in the usual manner bymeans of a hand-lever 17. Carried by the lever 10 is a segmental plate18, this plate being attached to the lever at its center by wings 19,which extend in opposite directions from the plate and are bolted to thelever. At the ends this plate 18 has downwardly-extended portions 2O forengag- Serial No. 58,120. (No model.)

ing against the surface of the rack-plate 16 and forming a guide toprevent lateral movements of the plate. At oneside of the center theplate 1S is provided with rack-teeth 21, while at the other side theplateis smooth. These rack-teeth are designed to engage with a pinion22, mounted on a shaft 23, which at its upper portion has a bearing in aboxing 24, supported by standards 25, and the lower portion of the shaftextends through the carplatform and has a bearing in a boxing 26. Belowthis boxing a sprocket-wheel 27 is attached to the shaft, and a chain 28extends from the sprocket-wheel to a connection with the electric switchor controlling device, which it is not deemed necessary to show herein.The pinion 22, as shown in Fig. 3, is provided with two prongs or forks22a.

There will be one of these devices arranged at each end of the car,excepting that each device will not be provided with the pinion 22except when in use. Therefore I make this pinion removable, so that itcan be carried from the shaft at one end of the car to the shaft at theother end of the car. As a means for attaching the pinion to the shaftto cause the shaft to rotate therewith the pinion is provided with a hubportion 29, through which the shaft passes, and a lock-bolt 30 ispivoted to the outer side of this hub and extends through an opening inthe hub to engage in a recess in the shaft.

The operation and use of the device are as follows: The new mechanism ispurposely so constructed and adj usted that the brakes and the currentwill both be od, leaving the car free for coasting when thecontrolling-lever is in a central or vertical position, as indicated inthe drawings. Assuming the car to be coasting and the motorman receivesa signal to stop, he simply pulls the lever 10 back. and sets the brakein the usual way. The plate 18 of course moves with the lever. The rack2l moves back from the gear 22, and the plain surface of the arched orsegmental plate 18 slides along the front of the two prongs or forks ofsaid gear 22. Hence it will be seen that the pinion 22 is not rotated orin any way aected by any movement of the lever back of the center orvertical position, thus allowing the `lever to be freely usedexclusively as a brake-lever back of the currentcutting center. Assumingthe motorman to receive a signal to go ahead, he simply loosens thebrake-lever in the usual way and pushes it forward to the central orverticalposition. This brings the rack 2l against the pinion 22, and afurther forward movement of the lever causes the rack 2l to act on thepinion and rotate it to the right, thus turning on the cu rrent by meansof the shaft 23 and sprocketwheel 27. The notches or teeth on the plate18 are so regulated that each notch on the plate corresponds to onepoint on the rheostat. I-Ience for each notch the motorman sets hislever forward he gives one point more of current, The motorman by movingthe lever forward to the last notch-say a notch Y or two at atime-revolves the pinion one turn, which gives the full current.Assuming the motorman to receive a signal to stop, he simply moves thelever back at one quick stroke and sets the brake up tight. The act ofpulling the lever from the forward notch back to the center or verticalpoint rotates the pinion back to the position shown in Fig.

3, thus cutting o the current. The continuation of the backward strokeof the lever past the center has no further effect on the pinion, whichremains stationary when the lever is used back of the center. Thus itwill be, seen that the lever is used as a brake-lever back or to theright of the center, while forward or to the left of the center thelever is used as a current-controller. Hence it will be seen that whenthe lever is in the forward notch and the car is speeding forward underfull current all that is necessary to do to stop the car is simply togive the controlling-lever a full back stroke.

It is obvious that the operation of my device is so simple that themotorman cannot become confused in time of danger and make a fatalmistake, as sometimes happens in turning the ordinary mechanism or crankin the wrong direction.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patentl. A controlleiI for the electric current and brakemechanism of a car, comprising a handlever, a stop-rack, a stop-rod onthe lever for engaging with the rack, a toothed plate carried bythelever and having portions for en-v having teeth at one side of itscenter, a plane 'with the rack-teeth on the plate, and connectionsbetween said shaft and the switch meohanism for the electric current,substantially as specified.

' 3. A controller for the electric current and the brake mechanism of acar, comprising a lever, a rock-shaft extended from the lever andadapted for connection with the brake mechanism, a segmental platecarried by the lever and having a rack at one side of its center, avertical shaft adapted for connection with the electric-current switchmechanism, and a detachable pinion for said shaft, for engaging with therack,substantially as specified.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing Witnesses.

BARTON WV. SCOTT.

